Teachers deserve your respect

I am a teacher, third grade in fact. The same student who stretched the patience of every teacher he ever had. I don’t ask for praise or recognition. After all, I am the one who chose my profession. However, I have to say I am discouraged with the disrespectful attitudes toward our local teachers. According to recent comments from some in this community, teachers are “lazy, incompetent, in need of drug testing, cruel, disrespectful and in need of replacement.”

Really? If those are your thoughts, I would love to sit and have a discussion with you about what it takes to be a teacher in 2013. I work every day with a dedicated staff and administration who truly love our kids. Your kids. I ensure my kids know they are safe, respected and I will always be there for them.

Do I make mistakes? You bet. But I admit them, apologize and we move on as a “family.” Do I get frustrated at times? Of course. Do you ever get frustrated with your kids? Have I shed tears over them? Yes. Have I looked at them with wonder and pride? Every day. God bless them for what they do for me. When all is said and done, I am honored to be able to share this moment in time with them.

Yet according to some we have a secret agenda of our own to make us come to work each day. What that might be, I have no idea. I certainly am not getting rich, seemed to have lost all my hair and can only imagine what my blood pressure might be. We are far from perfect. We make mistakes. We constantly reflect upon if we could have done something differently, something better. We do the best we can with the restrictions and misguided policies placed on us, yet still strive to overcome them and do everything in our power to provide tools to our kids so that they can have better lives than the ones we ourselves are leading.

I will not share the personal mountain of issues, heart-wrenching circumstances and extraordinary factors our kids tote with them each and every day, but you better believe their lives are a little better because they have teachers who care. Teachers that truly love them. I know. I work with them every day.